Franklin Becker

Top Chef Masters is back for season five...thirteen celebrated chefs arrive in Los Angeles and in an all new twist this season, each Master will have his or her sous chef compete in an online competition, "Battle of the Sous Chefs." The results of each online episode directly impacts the Masters, awarding them advantages, such as immunity and sometimes, disadvantages, depending on their sous chef's performance. In the Masters' first elimination challenge, they must cook in the great outdoors for a professional skydiving team. But, in order to get an extra hour of cook time, the Chefs must be willing to take a dive themselves.

The Masters arrive at the kitchen to find their sous chefs hard at work in the Mise En Place challenge. Once the elements are prepped, the Masters must take them and make a dish to survive this elimination Quickfire. For the elimination, the Chefs must put an Asian spin on an American classic at a trendy Asian Night market working side by side with their Sous. Guest Kathie Lee Gifford tries some food outside of her comfort zone.

In this week's Quickfire, the Chefs once again are affected by their protégés - by creating a dish with left over scraps from the Sous Chefs' challenge. For the elimination, the challenge is dramatic - as the Chefs are tasked with making a meal that represents one of the three basic staples of a soap opera - Sex, Murder and Greed. And the cast of "Days of Our Lives" will be on hand to see if the Chefs nailed their roles.

As every chef knows, curry is difficult to hurry - but the Chefs are challenged with making their version of curry in thirty minutes for this week's Quickfire challenge. Host Curtis Stone is not easy to surprise - but the tables are turned on him this week as fiancé, Lindsay Price, and the Chefs team up to throw Curtis a surprise engagement party he won't forget.

It's Restaurant Wars time! The Chefs must open eateries with a Los Angeles theme to impress special guest judges - actress Busy Philips, Editor-in-Chief of Food & Wine Magazine, Dana Cowin, and the critics. Will the native Angelenos embrace the new LA-cuisine? Or will the restaurants face early closure?

Special guest judge Mindy Kaling gets the Chefs in the mood for romance, asking them to create dishes inspired by her favorite romantic comedies. And for their elimination challenge, the Chefs are tasked with taking kids' least favorite ingredients and using them to make dishes even young palates will like. With the help of Yo Gabba Gabba, can they win over the world's toughest food critics?